Text Information

Notes

Scripture References:
st. = Rev. 1:5-6

This text originally appeared in The Daily Service (1936), the full music edition of the British Prayers and Hymns for Schools, of which Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) was an editor. "Unto Christ" was included in the Order of Morning Prayer for Fridays.

The text is taken from Revelation 1:5-6, which contains a doxology attached to the opening greeting addressed to the "seven churches in the province of Asia." The first clause helps us focus our praise on Christ our Savior, who commissioned us to be his kings and priests (see Ex. 19:6). The final words, "glory and dominion for ever and ever," are part of the familiar formula for doxologies-our ascription of praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Liturgical Use:
Baptism; as a conclusion to spoken prayers; as a doxologic coda to another hymn (291, 573) or a doxology at the conclusion of worship.

Tune

The fine composer, folk music scholar, and noted hymnal editor Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) composed this setting for the biblical text for Oxford University Press's The Daily Service (1936). This simple unison melody became familiar to Christian day-school students and Christian Reformed Church…